I'll Keep You Safe
by Nukas
Summary: Just a couple of moments between the brothers; multiversed. Took from my taken down oneshot collection book, "Brotherly Basics". Some is from the 2k3 verse, some from the movies, some from 2k12, etc. Songfic.


**I'll Keep You Safe (#16)**

 **TMNT from 2k14/16, 2k3, and 2k12 – The Tortuga Brothers (hehe I just love it)**

 **Summary: Just a couple of moments between the brothers, following along to a song by Sleeping At Last (Great group ? by the way)**

 **Notes: Just enjoy it ;3 lol, the first verse is about 2k12 Don and Mike, the second is about the 2k14/16 Leo and Raph, the third is about 2k12 Mike and Raph, the fourth one is about 2k3 Don and Leo, the fifth on is about 2k14/16 Mike and Leo; finally, the last chorus is just all four brothers, just pretend that the versions all mushed together for that ending bit :3 hope it's sweet enough for ya :D**

 **I knew the song before I knew about it being in the movie "Up" ;P (Which I also don't own)**

 **And I suggest playing the song as you're going through the fic, it makes it so much more relaxing (listening to it as I re-read it)**

 **I made many versions of this, this is the one I deemed the best. Hope you enjoy it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any franchise or songs. Just borrowing them and giving them back and hoping they aren't broken beyond repair.**

 _ **I'll keep you safe**_

 _ **Try hard to concentrate**_

Don helped hoist Mikey up steadily so he could see over the edge of the sewer grate.

"I see it Donnie! I see it!" The nine year old cheered, whilst his ten year old brother smiled, happy his brother took interest in it too.

"Told ya! Look how pretty they are!" Don said, proud that he made his little brother happy.

Mikey began to lose his balance, standing on top of his shell while he was on all fours.

"Wait, wait, I know a good spot to view the stars at!" The young turtle smiled.

"Where, where?"

"The grate that leads out to the ocean!" Just as he said that, the two came tumbling down, Don's arms getting tired and Mikey beginning to lose his balance.

"Oof!"

"Ouucch..."

Both scrambled to their feet, but they didn't even need to speak to each other before they bolted down the sewers.

 _ **Hold out your hand**_

 _ **Can you feel the weight of it?**_

 _ **The whole world at your fingertips**_

Mikey beamed as he stuck out his hands to feel the light rain through the grates. Don did the same and smiled as well.

"A whole world out there, Donnie! When do ya think Splinter's gonna let us explore it?!"

Don gave it some thought before answering, "I don't know Mikey, but we're gonna see it soon! I can't wait to finally know what it's like to see the stars better! Imagine being able to see the whole night sky; not just some of it!" Don beamed as well.

"One day, we'll explore all of it!" Mikey smiled.

"Yep, me and you Mikey... Maybe we'll let Raph and Leo tag along! We'll explore everything!"

Mikey looked at his older brother before asking out of the fear of a false promise, "Everything?"

"Everything." The brainy turtle responded, smiling gently now.

 _ **Don't be, don't be afraid**_

 _ **Our mistakes, they were bound to be made**_

 _ **But I promise you I'll keep you safe**_

Thunder crashed above, and Mikey yelped, jumping into his big brother's arms.

"It's okay Mikey, it's just the thunder... but we should head back soon before the tunnels get flooded... thunder usually means a storm is coming."

Mikey nodded hastily before squeaking out, "Yeah, the thunder man's gonna get us!"

Don frowned, "Let me guess, Raph told you that one?"

Mikey just nodded as Don sighed. "Mikey, there is no thunder man. In actuality, we're safest from anything the storm brings, like lightning or this fake 'thunder man'. We're underground, it can't get us."

"But what if it finds a way! What's gonna happen then?!"

"Well, I'll keep ya safe!" Don gave a gap-toothed smile. "Don't worry Mikey, I'll protect you!"

"Really?"

"Yup, forever and always! You're my best buddy!"

 _ **You'll be an architect**_

 _ **So, pull up your sleeves**_

Raph smirked as he gloated. Leo just shook his head as Raph rubbed his loss in his face. Raph really was enjoying this, but who was Leo to ruin it for him?

"Take dat Fearless!" He said smugly. The hotheaded teenager was proud that he had beaten his brother in sparring... three times.

If only he knew that Leo had done it for a reason.

He wanted his brother to understand that he wasn't against him, but with him. He honestly didn't care who won or who didn't. He just wanted his brother to look at him like an ally again, not an enemy.

He had to rebuild that trust that they had when they were kids. That friendship. That partnership.

 _ **And build a new silhouette**_

 _ **In the skylines up ahead**_

"Okay, okay, you got me Raph." Leo smiled. "Wanna go for a run? I need to shape up if I'm going to compete with you." He smirked.

"Hehe, alright Leo, yer on!"

As the two brothers ran rooftop over rooftop, the love seemed to radiate in between them, without either even realizing it. The playfulness and teasing banter they threw at one another seemed to make the dark New York skylines seem beautiful and glistening.

Leo could feel the bond coming back. He could make up for what he had said in the plane. He could make things right again.

He could be the brother he's supposed to be.

 _ **Don't be, don't be afraid**_

 _ **Our mistakes they were bound to be made**_

Leo felt horrible for what he had said. But he figured now it was over, he could make up for it. Of course, time heals most wounds, but other times, it takes a little extra push to help time out.

And this was one of those little pushes.

He remembered a time when things were simpler.

" _Lee-Lee! There's someone in mah room!" Came the terrified voice of a seven year old Raph._

" _No there isn't! Master Splinter said there is no one in our room! Remember, he said we're safe here!" The eight year old protested, frowning. He couldn't believe that someone was in their home after Splinter had deemed it clear._

" _Yes, yes there is! Come look, come look, hurry!" He forcefully took his big brother's arm and dragged him to their shared room._

" _He's in tha corna!" He cried._

 _Leo rolled his eyes and went forward, but despite his confident appearance, he really was scared. Was someone really back here? And if there was, what was he going to do? Splinter was out on a supply run and Mikey and Don were asleep in his bed, waiting for him to come back._

 _Leo searched the darkest corner of the room and turned to Raph, "Look, I'm standing right here. No one's in the room, I told y-" Leo cut himself off by jumping as Raph did so as well, both making small yelps. A rat scampered out of the corner and knocked over a couple of washed up toys that had been stacked up in that corner._

 _ **But I promise you I'll keep you safe**_

 _ **I'll keep you safe**_

" _It- It was just a rat?" Leo asked incredulously. This is when he realized his little brother had hugged him tight, holding his big brother ahead of him._

 _He looked down at his immediate younger brother before chuckling at their predicament. He then smirked and said, "See, it's just a rat." Raph hugged him tighter though, making Leo frown._

" _What's wrong?"_

" _Can you get it outta tha room? I don't want it in 'ere."_

 _Leo sighed dramatically. You'd think after living here for so long..._

 _Leo gathered a box from the floor which had been holding the toys that the rat had jumped out of, and found the thing trying to weasel its way on their bed. He leapt forward and after a few minutes of the game 'chase', Leo finally had the rodent caught._

" _See? Just a rat. It's done and over with. Besides, I'll always keep you safe, no matter 'who's' scaring you." He smiled comfortably, joking slightly towards the end. Raph smiled back._

 _ **Your darkness will be rewritten**_

 _ **Into a work of fiction, you'll see**_

Mikey tried to make himself stop crying, he really did. But the tears just kept flowing.

"Mikey? Mikey, what's goin' on?"

Mikey wiped his tears with the back of his hand, "Nothing Raphie-boy! Stop worrying so much!" He tried to make his voice seem happy. His voice ended up cracking though, and Raph was immediately threw off.

"Mikey, I swear, if you don't start telling me what's wrong, I'm gonna-"

"Please Raphie, just go 'way." Mikey mumbled, sniffing and rubbing his beak. Raph sighed, realizing that being rude wasn't going to help, so he calmed himself down and spoke in a more kinder tone.

"Mikey, if you tell me what's wrong, I'll help ya. I'll make it better. Just tell me bro." He said softly, rubbing Mikey's shell as he sat beside him on the couch. It was sometime between midnight and the early morning, Mikey had been awake all night and Raph was planning to sneak out, but noticing his baby brother crying on the couch, Raph decided to cancel his plans.

"Bradford's right... I'm a freak Raphie." He whimpered, wiping a tear from his freckled face.

Raph frowned, "Why'dya say that?" He didn't know why his baby brother way thinking like this, but he did know that he had to make it stop.

"... I'm just realizing how different I am from you guys... It's bad enough we're already so different from people, but now I'm an outcast with you dudes. That makes me completely alone; I hate being alone so bad Raphie... I mean, you guys all have friends you can talk to. You've got Casey, Donnie's got April and Leo's got Karai now; and before, he had Sensei most of the time! I don't have anyone bro... I'm alone." He started out sobbing but it all came down to him murmuring and whispering his feelings with his head hanging down.

' _Alone? Dangit Mikey..._ '

"Bro, look up. Mikey..." He said sternly when Mikey still refused to look up. When Mikey finally did, Raph's determined and loving set of green eyes met Mikey's sad and welled up baby blue ones. "Bro, you ain't alone. You've got Leo, Don, Sensei, and me. Bro, you've got the whole set. Do you ever see me and Donnie or me and Leo ever hanging out often?"

There was silence before Mikey responded, "No..."

"An' that's because we hang out with our other friends so much, we forget we have each other, little brother. And you're the only one who can get all of us to hang out, just for you. Just because you're different, and got some weirdness here and there, doesn't mean we're gonna outcast you." He gave a rare, genuine smile to his baby brother, who looked up and smiled some.

"Really?"

"Totally."

 _ **As you pull on every ribbon**_

 _ **You'll find every secret it keeps**_

Raph smirked deviously and gave his baby brother a noogie, before remembering what he had originally set out to do.

"Hey, wanna go up top with me? That's what I was going to do before _someone_ had a little pity party over something so _dumb_." He joked lightheartedly.

Mikey smiled before becoming his curious self, "What is it? Oh, OH, are you going to see the fireworks!?" Raph's response was simply him smiling mischievously.

"Awesome!"

"Shhh, remember, Master Splinter wasn't going to let us out to see them in the first place, so we gotta keep him and Splinter Jr. asleep!" He warned, but his smile stayed on his face.

"Alright!" Mikey agreed, moving his voice down to a whisper. "We're doing this ninja style, BOI!" He almost yelled again, making Raph just scoff and roll his eyes at his hyperactive brother.

So much for 'Ninja Style', eh?

As they watched the fireworks on the rooftops, Raph brought his baby brother close.

"This is the best thing ever Raph! This is SO cool! Sensei doesn't _ever_ let us go out on the 4th! He's says it's 'coz too many people are looking up tonight, but we haven't been spotted at all! Ninja style!" He sung happily. Raph just smiled and shook his head, happy that his brother was happy.

 _ **The sound of the branches**_

 _ **Breaking under your feet**_

 _ **The smell of the falling**_

 _ **And burning of leaves**_

 _ **The bitterness of winter**_

 _ **Or the sweetness of spring**_

 _ **You are an artist**_

 _ **But your heart is your masterpiece**_

 _ **And I'll keep it safe**_

Raph grunted as he laid his baby brother down in his bed. He had to carry the goofball home once he had fallen asleep during the fireworks. His brother could pretty much sleep through anything at this point.

He then got in bed next to his baby brother. Wrapping himself and his brother up in blankets and then holding Mikey protectively himself, Raph could only think to himself, ' _Goofball's too sensitive, he takes every little thing to the heart... I gotta start hanging out with him more._ '

Raph smiled as he begun drifting away into dreamland.

' _You really are something Mikey._ '

 _ **Dismiss the invisible**_

 _ **By giving it shape**_

Don blew out a breath of relief as he got to sit down in his lab to concentrate for once today, his brothers had been working him ragged today and all he had wanted was some 'me' time.

They never thanked him for all the work he did, and even though he did it because they were family and he shouldn't really _need_ a thank you, it would still be nice to have so recognition every once in a while.

Why did he suddenly feel so _lonely_ and _invisible_? He was never one for attention, but for some reason, he felt so... _unloved_ right now.

' _Stop being so dramatic... they love you. You know this, so stop being so upset about something so dumb._ ' Don scolded himself lightly about this.

That's when Don heard some footsteps coming into his lab.

"Hey Don, what's up? You kinda left pretty fast when Mike mentioned a movie night..." Don sighed and turned his chair around, so he could face his older brother, Leo.

"Look Leo, I just want some time to myself. Nothing personal, just tell Mikey I don't feel like it, okay?" He tried not to sound forlorn, but sadly, his voice did it for him.

"What's up Don? I know something's got you down." Leo asked firmly, so Don couldn't perform one of his 'turn the subject' games on him and make everything about Leo, and not Don.

"Nothing Leo, just a bit tired is all. From you know, _fixing_ everything my _brothers_ break? Constantly?" Don snapped at himself inwardly as he yelled at himself mentally for slipping out that little comment.

Leo was _so_ never going to leave now.

"Look Don, that's another thing I came to talk to you about."

' _See, he was just going to- wait what?_ '

"What? What do you mean Leo?"

 _ **Like a clock maker fixes time**_

 _ **By keeping the gears in line**_

Leo sighed before leaning against the wall, looking down at Don with a fond look in his eyes, "I came to say thanks. I realized we don't thank you enough, for anything you do. Mikey was the first to realize it, then I did, and Raph finally told us to stop beating around the bush and say what we were thinking. Long story short; we realized how rudely we treated you today. Probably more than that... We're thankful Don. This probably won't fix everything, but I hope it's a start."

Don was left awestruck before Leo just smiled his 'big brother knows all' smile and left his little 'lab' area, leaving Don to just stare before smiling and shaking his head at himself.

' _Of course, they love you. What was I thinking?_ ' He smiled to himself the whole night as he worked, feeling content.

 _ **Don't be, don't be afraid**_

 _ **God knows, these mistakes will be made**_

 _ **But I promise you I'll keep you safe**_

Leo just smiled as he watched Don, passed out over his newest 'toy', snoring softly. They definitely took the genius for granted.

"Sure, is somethin' ta see 'im sleepin', huh Leo?"

"Yeah Raph, sure is. C'mon, let's get him to a real bed."

"Ha! Ah'm pretty sure tha Brainiac forgot what those were." The two older brothers laughed lightly as they began getting their middle brother to bed.

 _ **As you build up your collection**_

 _ **Of pearls that you pulled from the deep**_

"Mikey, what _is_ all this?" Leo couldn't believe what he was seeing. His baby brother kept all this?

Rows upon rows of different kinds of childhood memories, collected items, and what was seemingly 'trash', were laid out neatly (hard to believe for anyone) in Mikey's drawer. All the things that had Leo going back to their childhood and their many adventures as just small turtles were here. Leo couldn't help but smile as he picked up an old box of crayons.

"The Crayon Master?" Leo snickered out, making Mikey laugh. Seeing his stoic and 'too cool for children's games' older brother smile at something so dumb made Mikey feel so proud of himself.

"I figured it needed a memorial. After all, I _am_ the best artist around big brother." Mikey teased.

Leo shook his head out of amusement before turning to his baby brother, "So you wanted to show me this because?"

"Because," The orange banded turtle sung, "I need you to chill out bro. Lately you've been strung up, higher than a hang man's noose. Bro, you're acting like the world is ending. I need you to calm down and enjoy life!" Mikey smiled, using his 'goofy lil' bro smile' to make Leo smile as well.

Leo chuckled at the playful answer before noticing something behind Mikey, on the wall of the small sewer tunnel.

 _ **A landscape more beautiful**_

 _ **Than anything that I've ever seen**_

" _Who_ made that painting? Was it you?" Leo was shocked at it's beauty. It was a painting of fireflies swirling a star filled night sky. Fireworks were also shown in the background, and everything looked so wonderous and real.

"Oh, that? I made it awhile ago." He shrugged, not feeling like it was much.

"Oh that? Mikey, that's a masterpiece. I can't believe you've never shown any of us this place before!" Leo exclaimed. How could Mikey hide this from them?

"It's a hideout bro. Somewhere I go to chill when I need a break from... hehe, no offense, but you bros. Plus, it's for you and me only. I don't think Raph would like it much, and Don might find it boring..."

Leo blinked twice before asking incredulously, "Mikey, how could anyone find this boring, let alone dislike it?" He said, trying to assure his brother they'd like it. Mikey stood on one foot, then the other, before finally coming to a decision.

"Okay. _Maybe_ I'll bring them here. But until I do, please, please, _please_ with a cherry on top, _don't_ tell them?" Mikey begged his big brother.

"Okay, okay. I won't tell them."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

 _ **The sound of the branches**_

 _ **Breaking under your feet**_

Many things crunched under the turtle brothers' feet as they ran through the sewers in the middle of Fall. Leaves, candy wrappers, newspapers, magazines, pretty much all you could think of.

 _ **The smell of the falling**_

 _ **And burning of leaves**_

Mikey ran ahead through the sewers, his older brothers in tow.

"How far is this place Mike?" Raph asked, in between breaths.

"Not far bro, just keep running!" He smirked, irritating his older brother slightly.

 _ **The bitterness of winter**_

 _ **Or the sweetness of spring**_

As they arrived, Leo smiled at Mikey who promptly took both Raph and Don's hand, making them enter the little pocket of area space in the tunnel.

Once they had seen what Leo had, they were speechless.

 _ **You are an artist**_

 _ **But your heart is your masterpiece**_

Mikey even showed them the painting.

Don remembered the same starry night sky, Raph remembered the fireworks on the Fourth of July, Leo remembered the fireflies that Mikey 'The Crayon Master' had drawn for him as kids.

The whole scene took their breath away.

"Mike..." Raph looked towards his younger brother before giving him a smile and playfully roughhousing with him.

After a while of going through their old things and memories, they all went to the same grate that Mike and Don had as kids.

They could see that same, singular part of the starry night sky, just as they always did. They laid their shells against the sewer tunnel's walls, arms around one another.

 _ **And I'll keep it safe**_


End file.
